Vietnam Deputy PM Visits Belgium, Works with European Commission

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem concluded Sept 18 his two-day visit to Belgium, where he held talks with senior leaders of Belgium’s government and parliament and worked with the European Commission (EC) on measures to boost economic, trade and investment ties, according to Vietnam News Agency’s reporters.

 

Deputy PM Khiem, who also doubles as Foreign Affairs Minister, met with Prime Minister Yves Leteme, Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht, Minister for Development Cooperation Charles Michel, and Presidents of Senate and the Chamber of Representatives of the Federal Parliament.

 

The deputy PM also attended a Vietnam-Belgium business forum, in which he assured Vietnam’s inflation and trade deficit had been controlled and called for more foreign investors to do business in Vietnam.

 

During his talks with EC commissioner for external relations and commissioner for external trade, Khiem asked the EU to not extend the anti-dumping tariff on Vietnam’s leather-capped shoes and soon recognize the country’s market economy. He also hoped the bloc would continue to offer ODA capital for Vietnam even after 2013.

 

Deputy PM will attend the UN General Assembly’s plenary session and other UN activities in New York from September 23-29.

 

He is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with leaders of several countries and UN bodies as well as executives of US businesses and organizations on this occasion. (News, VNA)